Vectrosity - Fast and Easy Line Drawing

You can just look in the project to see if it's there or not. Although if you're not using a custom material, you should get a "No DefaultLine3D material found in Resources" error if it's not.

--Eric

 

Code (CSharp):

1.             var mat = GuiContext.UnitAssetBundle.LoadAsset<Material>("assets/materials/defaultline3d.mat");
2.             if (mat == null) {
3.                 UnitLogger.Error ("No DefaultLine3D material found in Resources");
4.                 return;
5.             }

I've modified a code a bit, to load material from bundle, and it does not shows an error, so it means material is here.

also, I've tried to log material inside VectorObject3D.SetVectorLine

Code (CSharp):

1.     public void SetVectorLine (VectorLine vectorLine, Texture tex, Material mat, bool useCustomMaterial) {
2. //
3.         m_vectorLine = vectorLine;
4.         m_material = mat;
5.         m_material.mainTexture = tex;
6. // mat and tex are not null here, it shows Default3DMaterial and ThinLine
7. //
8.     }

can I add log method somewhere in update? to track if material is here or deleted in runtime?

 

It would probably be better to check in Draw or Draw3D.

--Eric

 

I noticed the drawDepth doesn't work with points and lines mixed. It seems like the lines are always drawn on top. Is it possible to change the order some how? Also i am searching for changing the texture of the points from the default squares to a circles. I tried to change the line texture but that only works with lines, not with points. Thank you!

 

DrawDepth works if you use Draw (it requires a canvas so it wouldn't work with Draw3D), and if you're using the sorting numbers correctly. For example, a line and a point where the line is drawDepth = 1 and the point is drawDepth = 0:



If you reverse that so the point is drawDepth = 1 and the line is drawDepth = 0:



If I assign a texture to the point:



So, these things do in fact work. I'd need more information to properly guess why they might not in your case; all I can think of offhand is that perhaps you're using a shader that prevents it.

--Eric

 

Thank you for the answer. The textures work perfectly fine now i tried to set a linecap instead of the texture
For the overlapping points: I thought i could use drawDepth for 3d points. Now i noticed that does not make sense since it is doing it automatically with Draw3D(). However i still have the problem with the overlapping and it has not to do with shaders. I made a clean new project with a test scenario (no custom shaders or anything) and i still have the overlapping points on top of the lines, even though the points are located in front in the cameras perspective. I also noticed that this only occurs if the points are close to the line. Else it works just fine.
I have uploaded the test project as a package on Dropbox (version 2018.1.1f1 personal, Vectrosity not included).
Anyways thank you very much for the patience. I am very impressed of how well this asset is made. For me it's probably the most usefull asset out there

 

Still a shader issue, if you're using the default line shader, since that's a UI shader and doesn't write to the depth buffer. Try using a custom material with a different shader.

--Eric

 

Hi Eric. I have an old game 2012 that needs updating and I needed to update Vectrosity too. The game uses the old OnGui and GUI textures to draw its elements on screen and your Vectrosity used to draw its lines behind these elements. Now after updating the lines are on top of the GUI elements. The entire game is using the old GUI and it's not feasible to change it to something else. How can I get your lines behind the gui elements?

 

I tested with OnGUI, and Vectrosity draws behind that, in Unity 2018 anyway. If you by GUI textures you mean GUITexture components, that will be removed from Unity, so it would be best to make the effort to replace them, if you intend to keep the game updated with the latest Unity. In any case, I don't know of a way to change the drawing order of a GUI canvas vs. OnGUI or GUIText/GUITexture components, sorry. That seems to be an internal Unity thing that isn't actually defined.

--Eric

 

I can't go to 2018 as too much legacy has disappeared. Too many of my games are just too antiquated with not enough downloads to make a huge update viable, but i want to keep them on the stores.
I need to rewind to the original vectrosity before you used a canvas. I only updated because there is a bug where when it creates the vector camera it enables HDR and all my textures start glowing!

 

Vectrosity draws behind OnGUI on Unity 5 and Unity 2017 as well.

--Eric

 

Are there any implications of having a 3D line parented to a canvas or not? I noticed they always have a RectTransform regardless of their parentage.

Also, is it safe to move them from the UI layer? I need them visible only to a specific camera.

 

Parenting could have implications if the canvas isn't at the origin. The layer isn't used for anything, so it's fine to use whatever layer you like.

--Eric

 

Thanks mate.

 

Hi, I purchased Vectrocity some years a go and now I'm using it in my new 2D game.

I have VectorCanvas with Line and a script that changes the start and end position of the Line. My problem is that I can see the Line in scene view with correct position but I can't see the Line in my game view. I have put higher value to VectorCanvas Sort Order but it won't work.

 

Actually Vectrosity specifically makes lines correct for the game view, not the scene view. Make sure you have the latest version of Vectrosity, and that the start and end position of the line are appropriate for the game view. Also have a look at the included demos, to see if there's anything you're doing differently.

--Eric

 

Eric, this comment is to "Go to the asset store window, find Vectrosity in your purchased list, click Import.". Is this right?

 

No, that's the Vectrosity store page, not your purchased list.

--Eric

 

Oh, could I get a link to what you’re talking about? (I’m sorry for wearing my stupid pants)

 

https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/s/asset-store
https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/AssetStore.html

--Eric

 

Hi

I'm looking to create an app where users can place text markers and draw routes onto a floorplan (plane) in-game and I purchased Vectrosity for this purpose. Can anyone point me to some tutorials or offer any advice? I am looking through the demos but I feel I need someone to 'hold my hand until I find my feet' so to speak. Screenshot attached.

Regards,

David

 

The text markers aren't really something Vectrosity would do. As for the lines, I imagine you'd do something very similar to the demo DrawLinesMouse script, specifically using the line3D option, and the useEndCap option (for the arrow at the end). Probably add some code so you can't draw outside the floorplan area.

--Eric

 

Thanks Eric

If anyone else has implemented anything similar to what I'm seeking to do, I'd love to hear from you and find out more about the approach you took.

Regards,

David

 

Hi Eric,
what are the units of the linewidth? I searched around in the docs and everywhere.
I build a custom wireframe. For this i want to move the lines by half their width to not overlap with the edges of the mesh. Right now the line intersects with the mesh. They aren't visible if the mesh edges are too sharp since the lines lay inside the mesh then. Is the linewidth even usable for this since it is in screenspace?

 

The docs do actually mention in several places that line width is measured in pixels. It would indeed not be something that would really work, sorry, since 3D line coords are in world units, which don't correspond to pixels in screenspace as you note.

--Eric

 

Hi Eric5h5


is there any way to draw an elastic external line like what is shown on the pictures.
i bought this asset but it not work well for me .
https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/modeling/wrapping-rope-57407
some times it cant detecte mesh edges.
help me if you have any idea please .

thanks

 

Vectrosity would draw the line itself easily; it's up to you to figure out how to supply and manipulate the actual points though. Therefore it's not really a substitute for a rope-wrapping package, since doing the edge detection and so on is the hard part, and not something Vectrosity does on its own.

--Eric

 

thanks for replay Eric

you are alright the hard part is how to detecte edge, where vectrosity use just list of point to draw lines.
i hope i will found solution for that case.

 

Hi,

I'm hoping to draw a line/segment with a gradient applied that can be modified in code, like how vertexes can be given colours in the normal Unity LineRenderer. Is that possible in Vectrosity, and if so, how?

Thanks,
Cory

 

In Vectrosity, line colors are per-segment, however you can get a gradient by having at least two segments, and using smoothColor = true. That way the colors are blended, and they can be modified in code.

--Eric

 

Thanks! So, I got it working by splitting the one line into two and moving the centre point to a point one quarter of the way along the line, so that the gradient changed at the middle.

 

Hi Eric,

I have purchased Vectrosity to render wireframes of existing 3D Models.
Since the mesh generation at runtime is pretty expensive and I want to avoid using Read/Write on the models I'd like to "bake" the wireframe mesh into my prefabs on Import.

I know I can use the LineMaker to generate a Wireframe from a Gameobject's mesh, but I have tons of models so a manual approach would be very unproductive. For the model import workflow I am using an editor plugin which processes the models at import (modify material and other properties)... is it somehow possible to use MakeWireframe() (or the methods of the LineMaker Utility) in my plugin and save the created mesh into my prefab?

Thanks for the help.

 

Not directly, but since 3D lines are made from a standard Vector3 List, after using MakeWireframe you could save out the list as a text file or similar using various methods, and read it back in when you want to make the line.

--Eric

 

I am trying to use Vectrosity with VR (HTC Vive) and although the lines are drawing OK; I dont seem to be able to influence the canvas or sorting order. My lines are looking semi-transparent when appearing on front of other objects, which looks very weird. I've tried SetCamera3D, canvas.renderMode and sortingOrder, but none of these made any difference.

 

You can use VectorLine.material to use a different material; the default UI material doesn't write to the zbuffer.

--Eric

 

Ahh. works nicely now, thanks

 

Would you look at a quote from MGEAR's thread here:

i don't have that packagt.. surely its inside there somewhere?
or ask from the support thread if its inside dll or something
https://forum.unity.com/threads/vectrosity-fast-and-easy-line-drawing.270846/

So,after you look at the is it inside dll... or something? If you think I'm asking to much of you (which I think may be correct), please tell me what to do!

 

PM me with your invoice number for Vectrosity, and I'll send you the Tank Zone package.

--Eric

 

Cool, i’m Watching Unbroken right now. When it concludes i’ll Message you.

 

It has concluded. I’m heading home.

 

I'm making a 2D game with a vector graphics style. I can't see any of my objects in the editor, though, because 3D lines need to be created at run time and I haven't found a way to attach 2D lines to a transform without generating them at run time as well. Is there anything I can do to make lines both visible in the editor and attached to a transform?

 

You can create 2D lines in the editor by using the GameObject > UI > VectorLine menu item.

--Eric

 

Right, but how can I get them attached to an object's transform?

 

They're already attached to a transform, namely the transform of a canvas. If you want a line to follow the transform of another object in the scene, you can use VectorLine.drawTransform.

--Eric

 

This is the line of code I tried before I came here. It doesn't work.

        VectorObject2D vectorObject = GetComponent<VectorObject2D>();

        vectorObject.vectorLine.drawTransform = target;

target is the transform it's supposed to attach to. The line just doesn't get transformed.

 

I found it. I’m on my cellphone though. Ii’ll just wait until I get on my computer. It will be about 15 minutes - an hour and 15 minutes.

 

Unless you have an email account I can just forward you the order confirmation to,

 

Yeah, I like that. I like the email address idea:

 

Eric5h5@unity.com???

 

But it didn’t work. Where should I send it?